Memorial
Jean Kathryn Imoehl went to her heavenly home on Sunday, November 10, 2019 at Mercy Hallmar after a battle with cancer. Services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 13 at the Cedar Memorial Park Chapel of Memories. Visitation will be held from 4-7 p.m. on Tuesday, November 12 at the Cedar Memorial Park Chapel of Memories Stateroom. Burial will take place at Mt. Calvary Cemetery.
Jean Kathryn Imoehl was born at home in Hopkinton, Iowa on January 1, 1926 to Dewitt and Lucille (Hogan) Thompson. She grew up the middle of two sisters, Betty and Peggy. She graduated from high school in 1942 and attended one year at Lenox Collage before it closed. She then attended Upper Iowa University and graduated from Coe Collage in 1957 with her teaching degree. She also pursued graduate courses through the University of Iowa. Jean taught elementary education for thirty nine years spending most of them at Johnson Elementary and had a difficult time retiring in 1986.
Jean married Robert Taschner on August 9, 1948 and they had one daughter Renee born in 1951. Tragically Bob and his father died when they were accidentally electrocuted while painting his parents’ home on Cedar Rapids Airport property on July 19, 1955. With faith, courage, and help from family Jean continued teaching and raising her daughter. She married Dr. Joseph Imoehl, a dentist, in 1959 and he adopted Renee as his daughter. They had many years together attending Hawkeye football and basketball games, golfing, traveling, and entertaining many friends in their home. Joe died in 1995 from heart failure.
Jean Imoehl was a very generous woman and believed in giving back with her talents, time, and money. She was on every charitable mailing list in existence! She was a very active volunteer through many service clubs and organizations. Delivering patient mail at Mercy Hallmar, serving funeral lunches at St. Matthews where she was a longtime member. She loved to work the election polls and donating her pay, serving on the Foster Care Review Board for ten years continuing to help children. She was very involved in the Elks Club #251 delivering dictionaries and drug awareness coloring books to all third grade classes in the Cedar Rapids and surrounding area schools for many years. She helped with the Special Ed Prom Night, going to Marshalltown to serve the veterans lunch, and helped to serve at the Elks Sunday brunches. She was honored as the Elk of the Year in 2010 and 2011 and the Sweetheart of the Year in 2002 and 2003. Jean also was a member to Mercy and St. Luke’s Auxiliaries, Retired Teachers, PEO, University Club, and former member at Elmcrest Country Club. She played bridge with several groups and had many fun times with her girlfriends GNO group. Jean was also extremely honored to be nominated as one of the KCRG’s Nine Who Care in 2012.
Jean loved to bring her wonderful and sometimes colorful sense of humor to friends and family by composing personal stories and poems for special occasions. She also gave many programs to clubs and organizations on various topics such as Presidents Wives, Just Sisters, The House Will Never Be the Same, and Flag Folding, but she was most famous for her programs about Outhouses and was known as “The Outhouse Lady”.
Jean had to move very suddenly from her independent living condo to Mercy Hallmar three years ago when she started falling and had to also give up her many activities and driving all at the same time. She handled the tremendous changes with courage and never complained. She continued to be active with all the fun activities Mercy Hallmar provided through the wonderful activity directors, Angie and Erin, and the music therapist, Amy. Her social calendar was the most important part of each and every day.
A very special thank you to the entire staff at Mercy Hallmar and Mercy Hospice. They Mercy Angels were nurses Cindy, Dawn, Demia, Kelsey, Laura, Lynn, and Tia, CMT Leora and aides Asiath, Deb, Devoni, Dianna, Imelda, Josephine, Kristall, Lynn, Maggie, Margie, Nicki, and Patty. Hospice caretakers Amy, Beth, Cindy, Hannah, Jennifer, and Mallory. Everyone was extremely loving, attentive and excellent with communicating with the family. God bless them all.
Jean is survived by her loving sister, Peggy Orcutt of Marion; her only child, Renee Taschner Weeter and son-in-law Rick Weeter of Cedar Rapids; grandson, Shane Weeter; and granddaughter Stacy Karr (Griffin) of North Liberty; great-grandsons, Derek Eganhouse and Levi Karr; nieces and nephews, Bob Timmons, Jo Daubenmeier (Dick), Patty Tow (Don), Tim Callahan (Laurie), Kit Callahan (Kay), Mike Orcutt (Annie), Connie Orcutt, and Paula Orcutt (Mike). She is also survived by a very dear friend and companion, Irene from Hallmar.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Dewitt and Lucille Thompson; husbands, Robert Taschner and Joseph Imoehl; former mother-in-law Elsie Taschner King; sister, Betty Timmons, and brother-in-law Bob Timmons; brother-in-law Dr. Paul Orcutt; nephew, Rick Timmons and his wife Colleen. She was also preceded in death by many dear and close friends over the years.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be sent to Camp Courageous, Mercy Foundation for Hallmar, Mercy Hospice, Elks Club #251, or any charity benefiting children.